Watercress and Wine

Watercress is back in season and Alresford, near Winchester, is holding its 9th Watercress Festival on Sunday May 19th. Watercress was first commercially cultivated in 1808 by the horticulturist William Bradbery along the source of the River Ebbsfleet in Kent. His watercress was sent to Covent Garden and Newgate Markets in London and he even sent watercress to the Great Exhibition of 1851 at The Crystal Palace. Watercress production soon spread and counties that grew watercress commercially included Hertfordshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Hampshire.

Alresford is the centre of watercress growing in Hampshire and more than 15,000 people visit the festival every year. This May the festival is home to plenty of mouth-watering watercress treats to tempt the tastebuds ranging from watercress ice cream and cakes to watercress beer and soup. You will also find street entertainment, Morris dancers, bands and artisanal stalls selling everything from watercress fudge to watercress sausages!

Watercress is a fast-growing, semi-aquatic plant that is one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans. It's a member of the same family as Garden Cress, Mustard and Radish – all known for their peppery, tangy flavour. Watercress has always had a reputation for being a 'super food' – the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Persians used it to strengthen and energise themselves as well as for medicinal purposes:

• The father of medicine, Hippocrates, founded the first hospital on the Greek island of Kos around 400 BC and grew wild watercress in the natural springs there, using it to treat blood disorders.

• Egyptian Pharaohs served freshly squeezed watercress juice to their slaves each morning and afternoon in order to increase their productivity.

• Roman emperors ate it to help them make 'bold decisions' (and to cure baldness and insanity).

• The Persian King Xerxes ordered his soldiers to eat watercress to keep them healthy during their long marches.

In the 16^th century the herbalist John Gerard recommended watercress as a cure for scurvy. Captain James Cook (1728 – 1779) was reportedly able to circumnavigate the globe due, in part, to combating scurvy through the use of watercress in his sailors’ diets. It's not surprising as watercress contains more Vitamin C than oranges do, has more iron than spinach, more calcium than milk and more Vitamin E than brocoli.

The plant’s heyday was in Victorian times as the development of the railway allowed tons of watercress to be transported up to London. Street sellers would buy it and form it into bunches, which were eaten in the hand, like an ice cream cone – the first “on the go food”.  Nowadays watercress is being recognised once again as a 'super food' with scientific research highlighting all sorts of benefits from helping to battle cancer to getting rid of your wrinkles.

Watercress is now enjoying a boom and you can find lots of different and inventive recipes using it. It's best to buy your watercress from a reputable source as picking wild watercress carries the danger of liver fluke. Watercress is readily available in shops and farmers markets – there is also a red tinged variety that looks great in salads – but make sure it wash it thoroughly before use. Shop bought watercress can vary in strength of flavour depending on the season and where it has been grown, so it's best to take a little nibble first so that you can judge how much seasoning to add before using it in your recipes.

Watercress Soup

2 bunches of watercress (de-stalked and chopped)

450g potatoes ( peeled and finely diced)

1 litre vegetable stock

freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg and salt (to taste)

A dollop of double cream (optional)

Sprig of watercress to garnish

Add all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the soup boil for 30 minutes and then remove from the heat. Once cooled you can blend the soup in a liquidiser until smooth. Return the soup to the pan to heat through, serve with a sprig of watercress to garnish.

Wine Pairing:

Fleur de Luze 2009 (100% Sauvignon Blanc) - A lovely, lively, fresh and fruity white wine from Maison A. de Luze et Fils, who have been pioneers in the wine trade since 1820. This wine is a clear, crystalline pale gold colour with a very clean citrus, lychee, and mango bouquet. It has a long, fruity after taste which follows through with a slight hint of ripe grapefruit and a refreshingly slight touch of fizz.

Enjoy!

English Mace, Yarrow – Spring Recipe and Wine Pairing

I discovered a herb that was new to me the other day: English Mace. Having brought my trophy home I looked it up and it turns out to be a variety of Yarrow (Achillea Ageratum Decolorans). Achillea are grown both for their decorative flowers and aromatic leaves in the border and for their medicinal uses. The Achillea family was named after the ancient Greek hero Achilles as legend has it that his soldiers used Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) to treat their wounds – hence some of its common names such as Allheal, Bloodwort, Soldiers Woundwort.

Traditionally Yarrow has been valued for centuries for its ability to heal wounds made by iron. The French know it as ‘herbe aux charpentiers’ – the carpenter’s herb – for its use in stemming bleeding from injuries caused by tools.

Yarrows were once used to flavour ales and as an ingredient of 'sweete washing water' but English Mace is one of the few Yarrows that is known for its culinary use. The sharply toothed leaves are supposed to have a mild but distinctive Nutmeg or Mace scent. (I wonder if it takes its name from the spice Mace or whether it comes from the old English weapon?).

The best time to harvest the leaves is in the Spring - only the sweet, young, tender shoots are suitable for use in the kitchen as later, the taste is bitter and resinous. As the leaves have a mildly astringent taste they are great for sauces made with cream as their flavour cuts the richness of the fat. English Mace is apparently a good combination with asparagus – for example using it in Asparagus Quiche, or in Cream of Asparagus soup.

The leaves can be used fresh or cooked and add piquancy to chicken, pork, fish, cheese, pasta and rice dishes. They can be used in stuffings, salads (especially potato salads), soups and stews. Dried leaves are used as a tea.

I intend to try my English Mace out with Jekka McVicar's recipe from The Complete Herb Book:

Chicken with English Mace

4 chicken breasts

2 tbsp yoghurt

2 tbsp dijon mustard

seasoning

olive oil

6 tbsp chopped English Mace leaves

juice of 1 lemon

Mix yoghurt and mustard and coat chicken. Season. Place on foil with mace leaves. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Wrap foil into parcel. Cook for 30 minutes at 190C/375F

Wine Pairing:

Bordeaux White – Chateau Mayne Pargade 2010 (80% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc) from Soulignac in the Haut Benauge. This is very aromatic with notes of sweet summer hay, fragrant broom blossom and beeswax. With good crisp acidity, great structure and balance with flavours of pear, quince and lime, Mayne Pargade will pair really well with this dish.

Enjoy!

Mangos, Chutney and Salsa

Could Mangos be the next 'superfood'? Mangos have been in the news recently as researchers at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) have found that Mangos have properties that can help regulate blood sugar levels in a positive way as well as have anti-inflammatory properties.

Mangoes are native to India and South East Asia and are the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines. There are well over 100 varieties, ranging in size from a large fist to a rugby ball. Shapes, skin and flesh colours also vary. The Alphonso Mango (named for Alphonso de Albuquerque – a nobleman and military expert who helped establish the Portuguese colony in India) is becoming increasingly popular in the UK with top chefs including it in their menus. However the Mango first came to our shores in a different form - in the 17th century, Mangoes were shipped to England as pickles to preserve them as the fruits would not keep during the long sea voyages. By the 18th century, the word "mango" had become a verb meaning "to pickle".

Mangoes are widely used in Indian cuisine and British colonials often brought recipes for chutneys home with them - Mrs Beeton includes a 'Bengal Recipe for Making Mango Chutney' in her 1861 book of household management in which she says “This recipe was given by a native to an English lady, who had long been a resident in India, and who, since her return to her native country, has become quite celebrated among her friends for the excellence of this Eastern relish.”

In the 19^th century types of chutney such as Major Grey's were created for Western tastes and shipped to Europe. Major Grey is an elusive character but Crosse & Blackwell (founded in 1706), reported that he was an officer in the Bengal Lancers and was something of a food connoisseur. While in India, he or his Bengali cook created this chutney by combining mangoes, raisins, chilies, garlic, vinegar, sugar and spices. Crosse & Blackwell purchased the Major's formula and the rest is history.

I have a recipe which uses Mangoes which hails from a completely different continent: Mango Salsa - it's excellent as a topping for Halibut. Salsas originated in Central and South America in pre-Columbian times with the Aztec, Incan and and Mayan cuisines. They were made from a mixture of tomatoes with chili peppers and ground squash seeds. The Aztecs used it as a condiment, to be eaten alongside turkey, venison, lobster, and fish. The Spaniards introduced salsas to Europe after their conquest of Mexico and it was Alonso de Molina who first gave the name ‘salsa’ to the mixture, in 1571.

The sea-faring Portuguese introduced the Mango to Brazil in the 1700s. Mangoes arrived in Mexico in the early 19^th century and reached the USA in 1860. Mexico is now the largest exporter of mangoes in the world. 

Mango Salsa

2 fresh mangoes

1 red onion

1 orange bell pepper

4 red jalapeños

pinch of salt

1 tsp cumin

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1 orange

A big handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Peel the mangoes and slice into small pieces. Dice the onions very finely. Remove the seeds from the orange bell pepper and jalapeños and dice very finely. Mix the lime and orange juices together with the salt, cumin and chopped cilantro. Mix all the ingredients together and serve over the halibut.

Wine Pairing

A good white Bordeaux will be lovely with this dish – Chateau Le Rondailh is an excellent match as it is an aromatic wine with good acidity made from a 20% Semillon and 80% Sauvignon Blanc blend of grapes. Full of character, pure, fresh and well balanced, it has flavours of ripe pears, lemon, lime flowers and red gooseberries with subtle nuances of melon, minerality and passion fruit.

Enjoy!

Almond Water, Orgeat and Cocktails

I spotted recently that Victoria’s Kitchen Almond Water was introduced to the UK last month along with the launch of two new flavours: Almond Water Coconut and Almond Water Liquorice Mint. The company was started by husband-and-wife duo David and Deborah Meniane. Originally from France, Victoria’s Kitchen Almond Water was inspired by David's grandmother's (Victoria), recipe and was named after her. It's a refreshing drink but you can also use it in a variety of cocktails (their website has several good ones here).

Almonds are part of the plum family and are native to North Africa, West Asia and the Mediterranean. Almond Water (sometimes also known as Almond Milk) has been made for centuries throughout these regions. It was a staple in the Medieval kitchen as cow's milk could not be kept for long without spoiling and was usually immediately turned into butter or cheese.

In the UK – where almond trees don't thrive – we used barley instead, hence Barley Water. Robinsons Lemon Barley Water is still the 'official still soft drink' at Wimbledon (having been so since 1934) – and incidentally warm Lemon Barley Water is great for soothing a sore throat.

With the onset of refrigeration the use of Almond Water diminished but syrups and cordials were made using the same process. Orgeat is a sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar and rose water or orange flower water. It's used to flavour coffees, drinks, desserts and many cocktails – the most famous ones being the Mai Tai and the Momisette.

Momisette

This is a traditional French drink, the name of which literally translates as 'little mummy'.

30ml Pastis

8ml Orgeat

Sparkling Mineral Water

Add pastis and orgeat to a Collins glass, fill with ice and top off with sparkling mineral water.

Mai Tai

Mai Tai is the Tahitian word for good and the Mai Tai cocktail was popularised in the 1950s and 60s in tiki-themed restaurants and bars – it was featured in the Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii.

40ml White Rum

20ml Dark Rum

15ml Orange Curaçao

15ml Orgeat

10ml Fresh Lime Juice

Shake all ingredients except the dark rum together in a mixer with ice. Strain into a Highball glass and float the dark rum onto the top. Garnish and serve with straw.

You can also add a few splashes of Orgeat to Champagne if you'd like to create a novel aperitif – I'd suggest using a sparkling wine as a less extravagant alternative: Comte de Laube (£8.50) would be a good choice as it has subtle notes of toasted almond and will harmonise beautifully.

There are several producers who offer Orgeat – Torani is based in the USA. In 1925, Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre visited family in Lucca, Italy. The two returned home to their native San Francisco with something very important: handwritten recipes, which they used to create authentic flavored syrups. These syrups helped Rinaldo and Ezilda reintroduce the Italian soda to their North Beach neighbourhood. Today, Torani are a global presence but have remained a family-owned company making over 100 varieties of syrup.

Vedrenne has been making its liqueurs, eaux de vie, brandies and syrups since 1923 in Nuits-Saint-Georges, in the heart of Burgundy in the middle of the burgundian orchards. The company initially won fame with the outstanding quality of its Crème de Cassis and has since gone on to acquire international recognition.

Cheers!

Beef Olives and Bordeaux Wine

Beef Olives are delicious and just right for warming us up in this cold weather that just won't go away! They are slow cooked, stuffed beef rolls in a rich sauce and although called Beef Olives they don't contain any olives at all. Beef Olives are an old recipe and 'olives' of Fish and Veal have been around since the 16th century in Britain. I don't know how they acquired their name, perhaps it's because they look a little olive shaped when cooked. Some say their name is a corruption of the regional French version of the dish Alouettes Sans Tête (which does contain olives). Alouettes Sans Tête literally translated means 'larks without heads' so both dishes have strange names!

I have both the British and the French recipes of this dish – the British is easier and simpler to cook whereas the French would make a good dinner party dish.

Beef Olives

Serves 8

675g beef topside cut into 8 thin slices

8 small slices of streaky bacon

1 tbsp flour

1 ½ tbsp olive oil (if you prefer beef dripping use this instead – around 25g)

300ml beef stock

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Stuffing

50g breadcrumbs

1 small grated onion

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chopped fresh parsely

1 tsp chopped sage

1 tsp chopped marjoram

freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1 egg yolk

Mix all the stuffing ingredients together in a bowl and divide into 8 sausage shaped rolls. Beat the slices of beef to flatten them (a rolling pin is ideal for this) and place a slice of bacon and a roll of stuffing on top of each slice of beef. Roll up and tie with a length of kitchen string to make an 'olive'.

Add the oil to a frying pan and place the beef olives in once the oil is hot. Cook until the olives are sealed. Remove the olives from the frying pan and place them into a shallow casserole dish. Return to the frying pan and sprinkle in the flour, cook for 1 minute. Add the beef stock gradually whilst stirring to stop lumps from forming. Add the Worcestershire sauce. When boiling pour over the olives and cover.

Cook in a moderate overn (Gas 4, 350ºF, 180ºC) for about 1 ½ hours until tender. To serve remove the string and place on a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the beef olives.

Alouettes Sans Tête

Serves 8

8 thin slices of beef
8 tsp. Dijon mustard
8 tbsp parsley, chopped
8 garlic cloves, halved
2 thick slices bacon, diced
16 black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, finely diced
2 onions, chopped
1 bouquet garni of 6 parsley sprigs, 2 bay leaves, 8 leafy thyme branches, 2 leafy celery sprigs
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp flour
splash of eau de vie or cognac (optional)
1 cup dry white wine
3 – 4 cups beef stock
kitchen twine
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp additional chopped parsley

To make the rolls: spread each slice of beef with the mustard. Near the wider end, place the halved garlic, cut side down, lengthwise. Add the diced bacon (about 2 tablespoons per roll), 2 chopped olives, and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Roll up the slice of meat snugly around the filling. Tie a loop around the roll at each end. Trim any excess.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the rolls on all sides and remove to a plate. Add the chopped onion and carrot along with a healthy pinch of salt and cook in the pan, stirring until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the tomato puree and cook until slightly charry. Return the rolls to the pan, sprinkle with the flour, and stir about gently until flour is no longer visible. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with the eau de vie or cognac (if using) and ignite. Turn the rolls in the flames until they are extinguished. Return to low heat and deglaze with the wine. Bring to a boil. Add 3 cups of stock and stir gently. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat the lowest possible setting.

Cover and simmer, turning the rolls occasionally in the sauce, until very tender when pierced with a knife. This can take up to 3 hours depending on the cut of beef used. Adjust the seasoning, remove the bouquet garni, and delicately snip and remove the twine. Sprinkle with the parsley, and serve immediately.

Wine Pairing

Bordeaux is amongst the traditional wine pairings for Alouettes Sans Tête and Nick recommends it for our Beef Olive version too. There are two superb clarets from the Côtes de Castillon in Bordeaux that would be brilliant with these dishes: Chateau Cap de Faugères 2000 and Chateau Puyanche 2005.

Cap de is Faugères 2000 is from the Chateau Faugères estate and is hailed as one of the up and coming wines from Bordeaux that has got some wine critics quite excited, claiming that it is the beginning of a legend. Being made with a high proportion of Merlot the wines of Cap de Faugères are a luscious velvet style. The wines are full bodied, aromatic and concentrated with blackcurrant, spice, chocolate and floral notes.

Chateau Puyanche 2005 is made by the Arbo family who have been winemakers ince 1900. It’s a dark garnet colour with the aromas of blackberry and plum compotés, leather and spices. Puyanché is a supple, aromatic and complex wine, well balanced and silky and is well worth discovering!

Enjoy!

Easter Lamb Recipe and Rosemary Flavoured Liqueurs

Despite its Mediterranean roots Rosemary survives well in my garden and its stiff green sprigs have battled against being frozen with frost and buried under snow. It's a herb that I use a lot and I'm grateful that it has lasted throughout the winter – unlike my sage which has given up. I add it to steamed courgettes in the summer, to stuffing and to joints of lamb for its lovely aroma.

I always associate Rosemary with Remembrance but folklore links it to weddings and love charms. According to legend Rosemary was draped around the Greek goddess Aphrodite as she rose from the sea and its name actually means ‘dew of the sea’ - (ros is the Latin for 'dew' and marinus is Latin for 'sea'). It's so named because it needs little or no water and can survive on just the humidity of a sea breeze.

I was surprised to find out that Rosemary is used in Liqueurs – I had thought they would be a little too powerful, too medicinal but they are said to have sweet camphor, resin and eucalyptus notes. Apparently there is a growing demand for herb infused alcoholic drinks. In the UK, Vermouth, Campari, Benedictine and Chartreuse have all enjoyed popularity in the past – all of which are infused with herbs.

Two well known Rosemary Liqueurs are Marie Brizard's Romarin Essence (30%) and Janot's Romarin (24%). Monin also produce a Rosemary Syrup that has just been released for sale here in the UK: Monin's Sirop Romarin. Both liqueurs and syrups can be used in cocktails (especially in gin and vodka based ones), mocktails, teas, smoothies, lemonades and in cooking (enhancing lamb and pork dishes, for example, and as a vinaigrette for salads and starters).

Has anyone tried a Rosemary Liqueur or rosemary cocktail? This is something that is definitely on my to do list.

I will be using Rosemary for my Easter Lamb this year but the recipe I have decided to make is a slow cooked Lamb Shank from Abruzzo in Italy where lamb is the traditional dish.

Abruzzo lies at the centre the Italian peninsula facing the Adriatic, and is bordered on the east by the Adriatic and on the west by the Apennines, making it is one of the most mountainous regions in Italy. In the past, the region of Abruzzo was well known for the transumanza, the migratory movement of sheep principally south to the region of Puglia during the cold winter months.

Abruzzi Lamb

1 tbsp olive oil
2 lamb shanks
3 oz smoked bacon
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
½ pint lamb or chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp brown sugar
2 – 3 sprigs rosemary
8 oz cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper

Set the Slow Cooker to Low. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the lamb until browned. Remove the lamb and set aside. Add the bacon and onion to the pan and fry until browned. Add the garlic and cook for 2 mins. Stir in the flour and mix in the stock. Add the tomato puree, sugar, rosemary, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Spoon the lamb into the Slow Cooker, pour over the hot stock mixture and then add the whole tomatoes. Cover with the lid and cook on Low for 8 – 10 hours. Serve with pasta.

Wine Pairing:

Great with Chateau Roc de Segur 2007 – this is a rich ruby purple colour in the glass Roc de Segur will benefit from a couple of hours decanting to do it full justice. This is a lovely wine and a benchmark for good honest claret.

It has flavours of rich blackberry cassis, ripe raspberries, cedar and spice with a hint of black cherry, herbs and earthiness. The tannins are velvety and supple; the wine is very well balanced and has a lovely long finish. Roc de Segur is an excellent food wine that pairs brilliantly with roast duck, venison, pheasant, lamb, beef and rich casseroles.

Enjoy!

Turkish Spiced Pilaf (Ic Pilav)

I read recently that one of the earliest references to Pilaf is in the histories of Alexander the Great when describing Bactrian hospitality (Bactria was an ancient Persian province).

It's certainly a very old dish and there are lots of different regional variations (pilav in the Middle East, plov in Central Asia and pilau in the Indian subcontinent). The rice in the dish should be fluffy and not sticky, the idea being that the grains should remain separate. The Turkish recipe that I have for Spiced Pilaf suggests that Baldo Rice is the best to use. Baldo Rice is a thick, short grained rice that keeps its shape at high cooking temperatures. You can buy it online in the UK but I use Basmati Rice as a replacement and that works very well.

Spiced Pilaf (Ic Pilav)

Serves 10

4 cups Baldo Rice (alternatively use Basmati Rice)

4 tbsp pine nuts

4 tbsp currants

250g chicken (or lambs) liver

1 onion

200g butter

1 tsp ground allspice

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

5 meat stock

1 tsp sugar

1 bunch dill

Place the rice in a bowl and cover with hot water. Add the salt and stand for 30 mins. Rinse in cold water several times and drain.

Peel and dice the onion. Soak the currants in warm water until they swell, then drain. Finely chop the liver into very small pieces. Melt the butter in a pan and stir the pine nuts over the heat until lightly coloured. Add the diced onion and the liver. Add the rice and stir over the heat for a few minutes. Add the currants, pepper and allspice.

Heat the meat stock up to boiling point in a separate pan and then add to your rice mixture along with the sugar. Cover and bring to a boil over a high heat. Then cook over a low heat for 15 minutes. When the liquid has evaporated and steam holes appear in the surface of the rice, remove from the heat. Stand for 10 – 15 minutes. Chop the dill finely and sprinkle over the dish. Stir and serve.

Wine Pairing

Nick suggests a white wine such as
 Château Vrai Caillou "Les Vignes de la Garène" 
(70% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon & 10% Muscadelle)
This would be good with this pilaf as it's elegance and subtleties
will not clash with the spices.  

Enjoy!

Braised Ox Liver with Mustard Mash

Thanks to our kindly butcher I ended up with some Ox Liver recently. I tend to stick with Lambs Liver and had heard that Ox Liver can be rather strong so I grilled a little piece of it to try and was surprised how good it tasted. It wasn't as strong as I find Pigs Liver and although distinctly 'livery' it reminded me slightly of pigeon breast or venison. My butcher recommended we try it braised. I used the recipe below and it was delicious! A lot of recipes suggest that you soak the liver in milk for an hour or so to make the taste milder but I didn't and the family enjoyed it.

1 lb ox liver

2 cups of milk (for soaking the liver in if you prefer)

3 tbsps flour

good pinch salt

1 large onion

juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 cups beef stock

Half a cup of sour cream

Cut the liver into strips (soak in milk for an hour if you prefer). Dust the strips of liver in the flour and sauté in hot oil until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Chop the onions into rings and brown in the same pan. Remove and set aside.

Deglaze the pan with the beef stock, lemon juice and brown sugar. Add the sour cream and cook for 5 mins.

Add the strips of liver and onions and cover the pan with a lid. Cook gently for half an hour or so until the liver is tender. Be careful not to overcook as the liver will become hard.

For the Mustard Mash

2lb potatoes, peeled

3½oz butter

3 tbsp double cream

3 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Boil the potatoes until cooked and drain thoroughly. Mash with the butter and cream. Add the whole grain mustard and mix well.

Wine Pairing

Nick suggests that a young bright and full bodied red wine will 
compliment the liver  and recommends: 
Jean Baptiste Audy Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cabernet Sauvignon)
or the Jean Baptiste Audy Cuvee 
(75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah)

Enjoy!

A Vintage of a Different Kind

We are used to hearing about vintage wines but the word is also used on other products – vintage clothing, vintage cars . . . and now vintage rice.

I had no idea that rice, like wine, has a vintage and that some years are considered to be far superior to others. Tilda has released a Vintage Basmati Rice which comes from the crop of 2006 which is said to be the best year for rice in recent history.

The Vintage Basmati Rice has been aged to create a richer, more separate grain, which producers say enhances its flavour. Basmati is grown primarily in Pakistan and northern India and has a fragrant flavour that makes it popular for curries. When farmers have an exceptionally good crop, they will generally set aside part of their haul for their families to eat on special occasions. This will then be aged to produce a stronger-tasting variety that goes especially well with red meat and game.

Tilda stored some of its 2006 harvest and claims the rice, which comes in a gold-coloured bag and is presented in a black gift box, has an ‘extraordinary nutty aroma and naturally sweet flavour’. The company’s marketing chief Vijay Vaidyanathan said:

“‘We are bringing something completely new to the rice category, creating a prestige product.

As a naturally fragrant rice, it develops more complex aromas and flavours over time, so by carefully storing the rice we are adding new dimensions to the existing offering.”

However, much like vintage wines, Tilda's Vintage Basmati Rice comes at a cost - it is more than five times the price of most supermarket own-brand basmati.

Tilda's website recommend a recipe by Luiz Hara that uses the Vintage Basmati Rice: Japanese Chestnut Rice (Kuri Gohan) here which is s made from a combination of Japanese short-grain and glutinous rice (mochi gome), water, mirin (a type of sweetened sake widely used in Japanese cooking), and chestnuts.

It's usually served with Japanese pork belly, caramelised with brown sugar, ginger and soy sauce but can also accompany roast partridge, pheasant or quail.

If you are searching for the perfect wine to do this recipe justice we'd suggest M de Malle 2005 which is ideal with feathered game and has complex flavours of white blossom, passion fruit, bees wax, quince, citrus fruits and spice. This is a beautifully structured wine that has a good burst of lemon acidity which will really bring out the aromas and flavours of the dish.

Enjoy!

Christmas Chique 2012 - The Old and the New, the Weird and the Wonderful: Pease Pudding and Persimmons

A quick trip to our local Morrisons supermarket turned out to be longer than expected due to the weird and wonderful new range of exotic fruits and vegetables they had on display. I couldn’t resist having a good look! Apparently Morrisons have been revamping their stores into new 'Fresh Format' stores complete with ice beds and misting technology to keep the fruits, vegetables and herbs fresh and hydrated. Although our local store hasn't been transformed yet it has benefitted from the new range of exotic oddities – including plumegranates (not a cross between a plum and a pomegranate but an almost-black skinned plum with deep scarlet flesh), graffiti aubergines, candy beetroot, dudhi, green mooli, plantain, turia, arbi, cassava and eddoes.

This is quite a change for Morrisons – when I used to shop 'up North' the most unusual item in my trolley from this store was Pease Pudding. Not that Pease Pudding is unusual in the North East – it's very popular - but it was unusual to me as I hadn't tasted it before. It's delicious. Pease Pudding is a very old dish and was once a staple on the British dinner table but fell out of favour in the 1900s. It's also known as Pease Pottage or Pease Porridge and the small village of Pease Pottage in Sussex takes its name from the dish.

Pease Pudding is made from soaked yellow split peas wrapped in a muslin bag dropped into a simmering pot with a hock of ham. The peas turn mushy and look a little bit like hummus. It can be eaten hot or cold and Pease Pudding is perfect with ham which makes it a useful addition to the Christmas table, especially if you haven't tried it before. Although it’s still very popular up North Pease Pudding is hard to find around here and if you'd like to make your own there is a recipe here.

Morrisons foray into exotic fruit and veg follows on from the news that UK sales of more unusual tropical fruits have soared as adventurous Britons develop a taste for new and more exotic groceries. Sales of persimmons - also known as Sharon fruit (named after the Sharon plain in Israel) - have for the first time overtaken sales of mangoes, while sales of pomegranates have rocketed by almost 30%.

Persimmons can vary in colour but the ones we normally see are orange and although they look a little like a tomato they are actually berries from the tree species Diospyros (meaning 'divine fruit' in Greek). The seedless fruit ripens to a sweet, jelly-like meat that remains encased inside a waxy, thin-skinned shell. The flavour is sweet and mild, a little similar to mango or pumpkin.

Originally native to China cultivars of the Persimmon have spread out across the globe and its fruit is thought to have reached European and American tables around 1800. In the USA Persimmon Pudding is a traditional American dessert a little like Christmas Pudding. 

In Indiana it is considered to be one of two local legendary dishes (the other being Sugar Cream Pie) and since 1946 they have held a Persimmon Festival every year. Persimmon Pudding is usually steamed or cooked in a bain-marie and is served with whipped cream or brandy butter. If you fancy trying it as an alternative to our British Christmas Pud the Mitchell Persimmon Festival website has the winning Persimmon Pudding recipes available here.

Enjoy!